Standard Chartered has raised its base-case year-end price target for Ethereum to $7,500 from $4,000, citing mounting institutional interest and increased activity from corporate treasury buyers and spot ETH products. The bank argues ETH could outperform Bitcoin this year if ETF flows and corporate balance-sheet decisions align, though macro and regulatory conditions remain material uncertainties. The note emphasizes that the trajectory hinges on on-chain activity and broader institutional adoption.
The bank identifies two pillars for the next leg higher: stronger network fee growth on Ethereum and deeper institutional participation. It also lifts its longer-term forecasts to $25,000 by 2028 and envisions scenarios that could reach about $40,000 by 2030, contingent on broader adoption of stablecoins and tokenized assets on Ethereum’s chain.
Market researchers cited by the bank point to sustained accumulation since June, with spot ETF inflows and corporate treasury buyers absorbing roughly 4% of Ether’s circulating supply over a two-month window. Treasury buyers are said to have purchased around 2.3 million ETH in just over two months, a pace the note describes as faster than prior Bitcoin accumulation phases. The report argues that Ethereum’s improved setup increases the likelihood it outperforms Bitcoin, even as Bitcoin’s weakness weighs on sentiment.
Despite the bullish thesis, the bank cautions that the outlook depends on ETF flow dynamics and corporate treasury decisions, and that macro or regulatory headwinds could derail higher targets. The analysis frames ETH/BTC as a relative-value play, suggesting the ratio could revert toward levels last seen in 2021 if Bitcoin momentum remains soft while Ethereum’s real-world usage grows.
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